Internal and external reasons can influence the fact that a cat develops blood from the mouth. In most cases, profuse bloody saliva occurs when vital organs—the liver, kidneys, stomach and intestines—are disrupted. If there is a problem, additional symptoms are recorded, such as broken stools, lack of appetite, restlessness, and more. As soon as the owner notices that the cat is dripping blood from its mouth or has bloody impurities in its nose, it is necessary to urgently seek veterinary help.
What is vomiting blood?
Hematemesis (“bloody” vomiting) is a term that is used for both animals and humans. This is a reflex reaction in the form of evacuation of the contents of the stomach in response to the influence of an irritant (along a reflex arc) as a result of sharp involuntary contractions of the abdominal muscles.
A cat vomits before vomiting only in a pathological condition, but with normal physiological vomiting (regurgitation) there is no nausea. At such moments, saliva is released abundantly, the animal becomes restless and begins to lick itself frequently.
Important! Vomiting in cats is not an independent disease. It is only a sign of pathology, and the presence of blood in the vomit indicates a serious threat to the health and life of the pet.
FeLV infection routes
The pathogen is excreted in milk, feces, saliva, mucus, and urine. In warm conditions with moderate humidity, it lasts up to 2 days. The virus is not afraid of sunlight, but dies from disinfectants and when heated above 60C.
How can you become infected:
- when mating;
- airborne;
- through secretions;
- in utero.
Less commonly, you can introduce the leukemia virus to a cat during surgical manipulations with poorly sterilized instruments or through blood transfusions. FeLV can be spread by fleas.
There is a high probability of mass infection in shelters, nurseries, and in a flock of stray animals. The leukemia virus feels free in places where there is a concentration of animals and there is no hygiene.
Fact! There have been no documented cases of cats transmitting the leukemia virus to other animals or humans. But the possibility of FeLV reproduction in human cells has been laboratory confirmed.
What can the color of vomit say?
Vomiting blood in a cat/kitten is a very alarming symptom. It may look like a liquid mucous mass with particles of undigested food or like foam, but it is always red, cherry, pink, brown and even black.
Blood in the vomit of cats can be either in large quantities (completely coloring it) or in the form of drops or streaks.
If a cat vomits blood, there is internal bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. By the color and amount of blood in the vomit, as well as by the frequency of vomiting attacks, you can recognize the disease that caused this symptom. But without additional examination in a veterinary clinic, it is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis.
Additional symptoms
This manifestation can be combined in an animal with severe shortness of breath, which remains with him even in a calm state.
When a cat has bleeding from the nose or mouth against the background of internal pathologies, other clinical signs are characteristic:
- scarlet discharge from the oral cavity along with the pet’s saliva;
- gagging with bloody spots;
- impurities of blood in feces and urine, and sometimes the stool takes on a dark shade, reminiscent of tar in color;
- shortness of breath not associated with physical activity;
- high body temperature;
- bad breath;
- increased fatigue;
- pale mucous membranes;
- rapid enlargement of the abdominal cavity.
The main causes of vomiting in cats
The range of pathologies in which a cat vomits blood is quite large - from trauma in the oral cavity or pharynx to systemic diseases.
Hemorrhages in the oral cavity
Cats often experience injuries to the oral mucosa, but they should not vomit at all. But it happens that physiological vomiting takes on the appearance of a pathology, for example, with damage to the mouth, throat, or trachea.
With similar injuries in cats, the blood is “fresh”, bright, without signs of clotting and is often released with saliva, without vomiting. During examination of the oral cavity, the wounds are visible to the naked eye (damaged gums, teeth, tongue, inner surfaces of the cheeks, palate).
In case of throat injuries in cats, the swallowing process is usually impaired, and in case of damage to the trachea, the inhalation-exhalation process is impaired (the inhaled air may not enter the bronchi and lungs, but under the skin).
Vomiting due to damage to the esophagus
Vomiting blood in the form of bright streaks indicates injury to the cat’s esophagus. The cause of such injuries is most often mechanical damage (when swallowing bones with sharp edges, inedible objects, and so on).
Less common in cats are neoplasms or ulceration of the esophageal mucosa, which can be caused by aggressive toxic substances, for example, as a side effect of drug treatment. Even with a small defect in the wall of the esophagus, heavy bleeding is observed, and the cat can vomit only blood.
Vomiting due to stomach bleeding
Gastric pathologies with bleeding in cats always have hematemesis in the symptom complex. A striking distinctive feature of such bleeding is the color of the vomit. They are usually dark, sometimes even black.
Hydrochloric acid, which is contained in gastric juice, destroys red blood cells and oxidizes the released hemoglobin, giving it first a brown color, and then bringing it to darker shades.
Causes of gastric bleeding can be:
- helminthic infestations - (with high infestation, parasites come out during vomiting);
- intoxication with poisons;
- prolonged erosive gastritis (up to perforation of the stomach wall);
- neoplasms, often malignant, including squamous cell carcinoma, mechanical trauma to the stomach wall (from swallowing sharp objects or from penetrating wounds).
Important! Cats are very curious, so they often experience mechanical injuries to the walls of the gastrointestinal tract.
Intestinal bleeding
Vomiting brown blood in a cat can also be a sign of intestinal bleeding. Moreover, she talks about damage to the small intestine. When bleeding in the thick section, the blood does not end up in the vomit, but comes out with the feces, which will definitely be noticeable in the cat's litter box.
Attention! If a cat vomits blood, and the color of the vomit is from brown to black, then we are talking about gastric or intestinal bleeding.
Bleeding disorder
The most common cause of insufficient blood clotting in cats is anticoagulant poisons that are used against rodents (Zookoumarin, Warfarin, Coumarotene pulver, Rodentine and others).
Poisoned mice and rats experience severe intoxication and cannot hide from the cat. Therefore, the animal easily catches such prey and becomes a victim - the poison from the rodent’s body enters the cat’s body.
Anticoagulants disable the blood clotting mechanism, thin it, and also change some tissue properties, incl. blood vessels.
As a result, the blood goes beyond its channel and the animal begins to bleed numerous times. In fact, a poisoned cat will bleed from everywhere—its nose, mouth, and rectum.
Hemophilia is another cause of bleeding disorders in cats. This hereditary disease is most often found in lop-eared breeds (there is an assumption that the lop-eared gene carries this anomaly). The owner is usually aware of the presence of pathology in the kitten.
The difference between hemophilus influenzae bleeding and poisoning with anticoagulant poisons is significant: during poisoning with anticoagulants, not only the cat’s blood clotting mechanism is destroyed, but also the porosity of the tissues changes. In hemophilia, tissue properties remain within normal limits.
Vomiting due to damage to the respiratory tract
Foamy, bloody vomit in a cat can be a sign of deep damage to the respiratory system.
As mentioned above, a sign of damage to the trachea is the presence of fresh, bright blood in the saliva or nasal secretions. In this case, the inhalation-exhalation system is disrupted and the inhaled air may not enter the bronchi.
Bleeding in the lungs (bronchioles, alveoli) in cats is usually caused by two factors - mechanical damage or diseases (contagious and non-contagious).
Mechanical damage occurs when foreign bodies penetrate (by inhalation) or when external injuries occur (pulmonary contusions, penetrating wounds, rib fractures with a puncture of the lung and the development of hemoaspiration).
Non-contagious diseases of cats that can cause bleeding in the lungs include chemical burns (when toxic substances are inhaled) and overexertion of the lungs, which causes increased blood flow to the alveoli, causing them to become congested and destroyed.
Contagious diseases include infections such as tuberculosis, pyaemia, hemorrhagic diathesis, and helminthic infestations.
With minor damage to the lower parts of the respiratory system, symptoms may be erased or absent altogether. With significant lesions in cats, vomiting and coughing are noted. There is blood in the sputum and vomit.
Infectious diseases
Infections always affect the entire body. They cause structural and functional disorders. Symptoms such as bloody diarrhea and vomiting in a cat, and/or coughing up blood, are noted when:
- panleukopenia;
- feline parvovirus enteritis;
- tuberculosis;
- leukemia;
- salmonellosis;
- campylobacteriosis;
- helminthic infestations.
Other factors that provoke vomiting
Other factors that provoke blood vomiting in cats include the condition of preeclampsia when carrying kittens. This is a severe form of late toxicosis caused by hormonal changes. This condition is rare and little studied.
Diagnosis of diseases
In order to prescribe adequate and effective treatment, it is necessary to find out the cause of the disease. Diagnosis of any disease includes:
- Collecting anamnesis (information about the patient’s condition and contents).
- Clinical examination.
- Laboratory and instrumental examination.
History taking
Interviewing the owner to clarify the diagnosis is called taking an anamnesis. The veterinarian asks the owner in detail about his pet in parallel with the clinical examination.
The more reliable and detailed the owner’s answers, the more accurate the information about the sick cat. Accordingly, the faster and better the veterinarian will be able to complete his work.
Clinical examination
At the appointment, the veterinarian must examine the sick pet. The doctor evaluates the general condition of the animal, as well as the mucous membranes, eyes, teeth, sublingual space, ears, skin, and coat. The cat's body temperature, pulse and breathing rate are then measured.
Next, palpation of the abdomen, kidneys, auscultation of breathing and heart sounds is carried out. If necessary, the veterinarian evaluates the functioning of the limbs, their joints and the peripheral nervous system.
After completing the examination and collecting an anamnesis, the doctor enters the information obtained into the cat’s outpatient record.
Laboratory and instrumental diagnostics
To make a diagnosis of vomiting with blood, clinical examination and medical history alone are not enough. Laboratory and instrumental diagnostics are required.
Laboratory tests are carried out:
Blood tests are the fastest way to diagnose diseases. But most often they are not enough to make an accurate diagnosis. Therefore, a number of additional studies are carried out:
- CBC (complete blood count);
- BAN (biochemical blood test);
- PCR and ELISA (polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) - serological testing of blood serum to detect infectious diseases;
- OAM (general urinalysis);
- histological examination of material selected during endoscopy and biopsy.
Instrumental diagnostics include:
- Endoscopy with collection of biomaterial from the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract (biomaterial is selected for histological examination).
- X-ray examination (if damage to the respiratory organs is suspected or X-ray of a contrast foreign body).
- Ultrasound (ultrasound examination) of the abdominal organs - to determine the thickness of the walls of the intestines and stomach, as well as to study the condition of the cat’s liver and pancreas.
Treatment
A disease in which a cat vomits blood will not cure on its own. A visit to the veterinary clinic is inevitable. But the owner does not always have the opportunity to do this immediately. This condition cannot be ignored, otherwise death is possible.
What can an owner do if a cat is vomiting blood?
With such a pathology, the owner is severely limited in the ability to provide first aid. He can only put the cat on a starvation diet for 1-2 days and ensure complete rest. Clean drinking water during this period should be available and in abundance.
Attempts to feed the cat will only worsen its situation, since food masses further irritate the damaged gastrointestinal mucosa.
Important! If your kitten vomits up blood, you shouldn’t hesitate to visit the veterinarian! In small animals, especially young ones, their body weight is too small, so dehydration and intoxication occur much faster than in an adult and large pet.
What can a doctor prescribe if a cat is vomiting?
After confirming the diagnosis, the veterinarian prescribes treatment. Usually this is a detailed diagram of the use of procedures and medications under the supervision of a specialist.
- If the cause of vomiting with blood in a cat is minor damage to the blood capillaries of the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, then conservative treatment is prescribed (diet, increased consumption of clean drinking water, mild medications to stabilize blood clotting, restoratives, vitamins, antibiotics - if necessary, at the discretion of the doctor) .
- In case of poisoning with anticoagulant poisons, cats are prescribed Vicasol intramuscularly (vitamin K), starting with a loading dose and gradually reducing the volume of the drug. Symptomatic therapy is also carried out (adsorbents, blood replacement droppers to restore blood volume and avoid dehydration). After eliminating the main symptoms, restorative therapy is carried out. In general, the prognosis is unfavorable.
- Gastrointestinal neoplasms in all animal species can only be cured by surgery. A distinctive feature of neoplasms in the gastrointestinal tract is their long development. This allows them to be successfully removed. For severe forms of inflammation in the large intestine, cats are treated with immunosuppressive drugs (to suppress the activity of the immune system). But diagnosed lymphoma is treated in a comprehensive manner - after surgical removal, chemotherapy is prescribed.
- If foreign bodies are detected in the gastrointestinal tract or respiratory organs, surgical intervention is performed (abdominal or laparoscopic). After surgical treatment, proper postoperative care is required (elimination of physical activity, diet).
- Treatment of bleeding in the lungs in cats involves emergency hospitalization under the supervision of a veterinarian. Antitussive drugs are used (to reduce the mechanical effect on lung tissue), coagulants to increase blood viscosity and coagulability, as well as restorative drugs. If necessary, blood replacement therapy is carried out.
- When vomiting during infectious diseases, cats are, if possible, given specific passive antibodies. The rest of the treatment comes down to symptomatic therapy, the use of painkillers, restoratives, immunostimulating, and vitamin preparations. An important place in such treatment is occupied by the period of rehabilitation (recovery) after an illness.
Is it possible to prevent viral leukemia?
Immunoprophylaxis is an effective way to avoid FeLV. You can vaccinate a completely healthy cat without being a latent carrier of the virus. Kittens begin to be given Pitman Moore, Fort Dodge, Merial, Solvay and Purevax FeLV vaccines at 10-12 weeks.
If a cat is vaccinated before the birth of kittens, the babies become immune to FeLV up to 2-3 months of life. After this period, they are vaccinated against feline leukemia.
The spread of the virus can be prevented by observing sanitary and hygienic standards for keeping animals in groups. Promptly isolate and treat patients, disinfect the premises and utensils. Domestic animals should not be allowed to come into contact with wild animals, especially in endemic areas.
